Addicted
by xprimrose
Summary: "Right now, I'm not lookin' for solutions. I just want to forget." Norman Jayden helps a suspect escape the confession room and now the cops are after both of them. Unexpectedly though, they begin to fall for each other, and secrets begin to pour out.
1. Chapter 1

Over the past few days, the combination of sleepless nights, along with loads of miscellaneous notes on the Origami killer, caused the young journalist's dark circles to transition from slightly blue to a deep purple. Her chin rested on the edge of the maple-wood desk, and her eyes were shut tightly, trying to dream away the haunting image of 11 year old Jeremey Bowles dumped on the wasteland; origami figure in the hand and an orchid on the chest.

After witnessing the abhorrent crime scene, she was determined to cover the story and somehow help find the killer and put an end to the series of deaths. As she inhaled and exhaled deeply, a pencil rolled back and forth, barely touching her chin and blowing back towards the computer screen . Long arms were sprawled across all the disoriented papers that had still yet to be organized.

Outside the cubicle near the main lobby, a tall, slightly thick-framed man leaned against the receptionist's desk and scratched absentmindedly at his beard. "We're looking for a … Nicole Jamison. D'She work here?" He eyed the name tag that was pinned onto the lady's purple blouse; It read _Cathleen_. "I'm Lieutenant Carter Blake and this is my partner, Norman Jayden." The man standing beside him was a bit taller, but slimmer. Short, neatly groomed dark-brown hair resided on his head. His five o'clock shadow contoured his face, making his jaw bones exceedingly prominent. He flicked out his FBI card with one swift movement and flashed it to her. Cathleen examined it closely and compared the card to the pale face of the man who, judging from his uninterested expression, seemed like he was a bit too familiar with this process. She nodded.

"Yes, last office down, to your left." She pointed the way.

"Thanks." Replied Carter nonchalantly, and waved Norman to follow along. He slipped his authorization card back into the pocket of his trousers and trailed along behind him. This small exchange sparked the interest of nearby workers who glanced up at their desks and whispered to each other. As Carter walked by, they all proceeded to sit back down and pretend to be working. Curiosity remained floating in the air.

"I'm telling you Blake," Norman started, making sure to keep his voice low. "It was a waste of time coming here. Her psychological profile is nowhere _near_ what my data suggests the killer may be like. She's a 28 year old who works full time at an office. It just doesn't make any sense at all." He shook his head. "The killer should be a male, around the age of 30 to 45 and have a job that gives him some free time. Otherwise, she'd have no possible way of kidnapping those kids." Blake stopped walking and turned around.

"Look, _Norman_," He barked, "I don't care what your stupid FBI glasses say. She was there during the crime scene, and this is the only fuckin' lead we got. And even if she ain't the killer, she might have some information that could help us find that bastard. So shut your mouth and just follow me, got it?" He turned back around and resumed walking towards the office, huffing some swear words under his breath.

Norman furrowed his brows and a small sigh escaped his pink lips. Although they had only been partners for a few days, Norman had a feeling from the start that Blake would be like this. A rash, ruthless cop, who was quick to ignore protocol and jumped to conclusions in order to close the case quickly. Friction between the two had arisen from the start, and they were constantly arguing. Blake thought of Norman's psychological profiling as useless and irrelevant, and that didn't make things any better between the two. By now it was clear to Norman that it was best to stay out of Blake's way when they were on an investigation together.

Even though the two were supposed to be equal partners in crime, he was treated like nothing more than an acquaintance, and quite frankly he was beginning to get sick of it. Pretty soon he was sure he'd have an outburst of his own, and it wouldn't be a pretty sight to see.

"Officer Lieutenant Blake; are you Nicole Jamison?" The sound of someone else's voice startled the young journalist, and she abruptly woke up. She blinked hard a couple times and turned around to reveal two curious hazel orbs peeking out from under her black fringe. Norman noticed the papers scattered across her desk, all of them having the same title; _The Origami Killer_.

"I'm Norman Jayden, FBI." He said, leaning against the door frame. "We're here to investigate a case I believe you're familiar with, the Origami Killer. We heard you were the one who found the body, so we thought we'd ask you a couple questions." Norman's strong Boston accent was easily detectable as he spoke. He dug his hands deep into his pockets.

The image of a young boy's dead body flashed in her mind again, and she stared at her bulletin board, waiting for the momentarily overwhelming feeling of terror to disappear.

"Uh, Yes. I uh… I reported the body…" She said, as she finally plucked up the courage to speak. Norman could hear the distress apparent in her voice. "I was driving home from work when I thought I saw something- so I got out of my car and I found him there." She replied quietly. She bit her lip.

"I see." Blake replied, once again rubbing the beard that inhabited his chin. "And are you absolutely _sure_ you didn't see anything else?"

"Yes I'm sure." The female nodded. Lieutenant Blake's piercing green eyes made it hard to make eye contact. The Norman guy seemed a bit less menacing, but the thought of him being an FBI agent was still a scary thought nonetheless. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work…" Nicole turned back around in her chair and took in a deep breath. She gathered all the scrambled papers together into one pile.

"I guess that's it then," Norman muttered. "Come on Blake, let's leave her alone. We've got places to be and-"

"You little liar." Blake snapped. "I know you did it!" he spun her chair around and stared her square in the eyes. Nicole's heart pounded against her chest and she gasped. "Why else would someone be driving around an abandoned wasteland? How else would someone have known where the body was? I bet you're just faking this whole thing so that you could cover up the fact that you are the fuckin' Origami Killer!"

The whole office went silent. The only sound was that of the printers, but no one spoke a word. "_I_'_ll have to call you back, please hold."_ Cathleen softly whispered, as she hung up the phone. The whole office was aghast .

"Blake what're you doing!" Norman shouted, appalled. Blake grabbed Nicole's wrists and pulled them behind her back.

"You're coming down to the station with us! That'll make you talk…"

"Let go of me!" She squirmed. She wanted to kick him, but there was no knowing what a cop could do. Especially one like him.

"Blake! Let her go! You have no right to do this!" Norman's voice stormed

"Who's side are you on _NORMAN?_" Blake volleyed back, his nostrils flaring with anger.

"I don't know Blake, but I'm getting pretty fuckin' sick of being treated like a worthless piece of crap by you!" Norman could feel the blood in his veins get hot, and his fingers curled up to form a fist.

Blake's angry eyes were fierce enough to burn through a brick wall. He clicked the handcuffs around Nicole's wrist and shoved past Norman.

"Get out of my way, you useless cunt." He huffed, and dragged the terrified journalist out of the room.

"Let me go! I didn't do anything!" She yelled.

"Blake, you get your ass over here! And let her… let her go…" Norman tried to yell; an uncomfortable but familiar warm feeling took over his body. His hands began to shake and a sharp pain striked in his temples.

_Shit not now… not now…_

He could feel blood dripping from his nose down to his lips; it tasted metallic, like licking a copper pot. But warmer, and deep. Norman's shaking hand reached for the pocket of his coat. He could feel the shape of the vial and he clenched it in his hand.

_No I can't… they'll see me… Shit! Not now…_

His face completely flushed of any color and glowed with a ghostly shade of pale. His vision became blurred and he clenched his fists; fingernails digging deep into the palm of his hand. His legs began to sway from side to side unwillingly, and he grabbed the top of the cubicle wall , hoping for some support.,

_Fuck... Fuck! Not now..._

_Is anyone looking? Fuck! of course they're looking. God damn. God damn it Norman!  
_

* * *

I hope you guys enjoy :D ~ Ahh yess, Norman Jayden.

Can you sense a bit of romance coming up? Probably not. I didn't hint it well enough.

In the next chapter I will, I promise. I can't wait .

All reviews are welcome :D


	2. Chapter 2

His green eyes that were once so clear and so deep, became pink blurry circles, surrounded by pale, sickly skin. They desperately darted around, searching for a blue bathroom sign.

_There! Just a couple steps away , Norman. You can make it. Just make it behind those doors… and you can take some! Then the pain will go away… no one will see!_

He used his shaky, clammy hands to maneuver his body so that it was facing the direction of the bathrooms. Still using the cubicle walls for support, he forced his wobbly legs to walk, struggling to carry the weight of his whole body.

_Shit they're staring... I know they are…_

Indeed, the whole office, including Cathleen, had stopped whatever it was that they were so preoccupied with before , and averted their attention to the strange shaking man, who was beginning to stutter slowly towards bathrooms.

With each step he took, his breathing became faster, and eventually transitioned to a rapid panting. The blue circle that had once read _Mens_ was now nothing but an azul blur in his eyes. Finally reaching the door, he pulled together all the energy in his body and strained to push down the knob . What seemed like a simple everyday task had magnified itself to the extreme.

* * *

"Let me go!" Nicole screamed . "I didn't do anything, god damn it."

"If you're not the killer then why are you resisting so much , huh?" Blake retorted, still continuing to drag her towards the car.

"Because I don't have time to go down and be questioned! I have a job to get to!"

"Yeah yeah, just get in the car!" He yelled back , and hustled her into the small black car. It was a stormy day, and the raindrops had just about drenched every inch of her body. The small amount of mascara she had bothered to put on had washed down her face , and left slightly grey streaks on her cheek.

"This is stupid… This is a waste of time!" Blake ignored her, and strapped himself in. He adjusted his mirrors and lay his hand on the gear shift, impatiently tapping his fingers.

_Fuck, I gotta wait for Jayden… Ugh, where is that guy anyway?_

_

* * *

_

Once he was inside the bathroom, a small weight lifted off his shoulders, but the challenge was not over yet. He raced over to an empty stall and fumbled to slide the lock into place. His quivering hand slid into the pocket of his coat and wrapped itself around the familiar glass shape of the vial. Within a few quick impulses and a few sniffs, he found himself letting out a large sigh as a tingling sensation blew through his body. The squeezing pressure he had felt in his forehead and temples was now gone, and he slowly felt himself relax a bit. The sleeve of his black suit met the streak of blood trailing from his nose as he sat down onto the seat, his face in his palms.

Blood began to rush back into his face once again. However, the permanent pale skin he had developed over time was still present. And would remain the same ghostly shade, until he decided to... quit.

There was still a slight burning in his body, but the pain was mostly gone.

_Shit, Blake's got Nicole!_

He suddenly remembered what his real motive was, and quickly got out of the stall. He took a few deep breaths and made sure to calm himself down before walking out of the bathroom area. He had to get that poor journalist free from Blake's grasp. Who knows what he could've been doing to her as soon as they exited the news building?

He ran through the cubicles, ignoring all the peculiar gazes, and out the front door, exposing himself to a dark , cloudy sky. Within moments, the rain had completely soaked his expensive suit. Ignoring the fact that it was fairly uncomfortable, he kept running. His eyes frantically darted around, searching for the small black car that Blake and he had come in. There! Was it that one?

"Blake!" Norman yelled out hopelessly. Although he knew it was practically impossible he could hear him in the pitter patter of this rain. He ran as fast as his expensive leather shoes could take him; the puddles making sure to splash against his already-drenched pants. He slammed himself against the passenger seat window and peered inside the darkness. The only thing he could make out was the squirming figure of Nicole in the back seat, and Blake's hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Blake, open up the car!"

Blake's thick eyebrows arched downward, and he turned around to look at the imbecile standing outside his window. He then clicked the button to unlock the door and Norman gladly climbed inside, letting out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he almost thought he was going to have to walk all the way back to the station.

"Why are you taking me? I told you I don't know anything else…" Nicole muttered from the back seat; still in handcuffs.

"Shut up ! God damn…" Blake snarled.

Norman licked his lips in frustration as he buckled up; even when Blake wasn't yelling at him, it was still peeving to hear it being thrown at someone else. He bit his lip and peeked at the girl from the side view mirror. He caught a glimpse of the top of her head before she looked up and they met eyes for a split second before both turning away.

He noticed that her dark under-eye circles contrasted greatly on her pale ivory skin, and drowned out the liveliness in her big, round, puppy-dog eyes. She had baby doll features, but at the same time, stress had somehow bore its way onto her face in such ways that she looked aged and listless. He couldn't help but feel bad for letting Blake drag the poor girl all the way down to the station. Seemed like she already had enough to worry about, judging from the way they found her sleeping in her office. But, there was no point in trying to argue with Blake at this point in time. He was quick at making decisions, and he stuck to them, regardless of what Norman had to say.

* * *

The girl felt miserable, and she was sure her appearance reflected so too. The cuffs that were chained around her wrists were clicked on a bit too tight, and were digging into her forearms. It was getting chilly, and she'd left her sweater back at the office. All she had to protect her from the elements was a pair of black jeans and a plain white v-neck shirt, and her damp hair was quickly lowering her body temperature. The car was awfully cold, but she didn't think Blake would turn on the heater if she asked.

"_Achoo!"_ a small sneeze she'd been trying to hold in had escaped her nose.

"Bless you," Norman replied politely. Blake turned to give him a dirty look, one in which he did not return.

"_Achoo!"_ Nicole sneezed again. She sniffled a couple times and groaned.

_God I hate this weather. _

More than anything, Nicole longed for her bed, and lying underneath the comforting heat of her blankets. She despised the cold, and the rain. Back when she lived in California, it was never a big problem. Moving to Seattle probably wasn't the best way to elude the rain, but it was not a job offer she could turn down. She sighed,

_What did I get myself into…_

The exhausted journalist plopped onto her side to lay down; her legs obviously too long to fit across the back seat. She was tired. That's all she had been for the past week. All the desire and angst to cover the story of the Origami killer had vanished, and had instead been replaced by sleepless nights and drinking her worries away at the local bar. Atleast if the car ride was long, it'd give her a bit of time to catch up on sleep.

"You cold back there?" Norman asked, taking notice to her sneezing fit, a glimmer of care in his voice. Nicole kept her eyes shut and ignored his question.

_It's probably best not to get too comfortable with these guys_, she thought, and tried to get herself in a comfortable sleeping position.

Norman sighed, taking off his coat. It was twice as heavy now that the rainwater had saturated into it. He turned around and offered it to her. "Might not be very helpful… Would you like my coat?"

"No." She replied bluntly. What kinda mind games was he playing? First he kidnaps her, then he offers her his jacket. Cool.

Norman retracted his arms and placed the wet jacket back into his lap and stared straight ahead.

_Just trying to be nice._ He thought

"What're you doing, Jayden? Flirtin' with the suspect? Get your mind outta the gutters!" Blake snapped. Norman stopped and turned to face Blake, who's eyes were focused on the road.

"Her being sick wont be a benefit for neither of us, Blake." Jayden replied sharply. Carter remained silent, and only let out a small scoff.

The beginnings of small smile began to tug at the corner of Jayden's lips, satisfied that he'd finally gotten Blake to shut up.

* * *

Woo! Chapter two :D ~ I was originally going to go on to the part about the police station but I thought myehh ,

Too long of a chapter.

So yeah , REVIEWS ARE WELCOME 8D !

Nahman Jayden, eff bee aii. 3


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh for Christ's sake… Wake up!"

Angry muffled words rang in the young journalist's ears. Déjà vu.

"What do you want…" She groaned, nuzzling her head into the corner of the leather seats. The black vehicle had docked at the police station just a little while ago. Blake unlocked the door and opened it to reveal a motionless body, fast asleep in the back seat.

"Are you kidding… get the fuck up!" Blake gripped her forearm and heaved her out of the car; his untrimmed nails digging through the surface of her skin.

"Uhhnff. Don't…" She mumbled, sharply retracting her arm.

"Ugh, you stubborn little-" He raised his left hand, ready to strike

"Blake!" Norman interrupted "Don't."

"Look at her! She's practically forgotten where she is!" he slapped her hard, and she yelped, clenching her fists tight to absorb the stinging sensation on the side of her head.

"Shit Carter! Are you outta your mind? Violence isn't the answer to everything yknow!" Norman proceeded to shove Blake aside, causing him to slip down the side of the wet car and collide with the side view mirror.

"Oh, you wanna go, asshole?" Blake huffed, trying to regain his balance. Norman's mouth formed a straight line.

"Not now, Carter." He sighed. "Let's just get her inside first." He leaned in under the roof of the car and carefully caressed Nicole's arm, pulling her out.

_God... Blake's such an ass.. _She thought, stepping down from the car.

"I'll take you right now!" With one swing, Blake managed to punch Norman hard enough to force him to let go of Nicole's arm and stumble backwards.

She gasped at the display of brutality.

"Don't!" She screamed. She couldn't bear to watch the two treat each other so coarsely. The impact of Blake's hit managed to create a small gash on Norman's bottom lip. He used his sleeve to wipe off the trail of blood and reluctantly made his way back to the car.

"Shit…" He panted under his breath.

A small smirk played on Blake's face before letting out a scoff.

"Ohhh, now you've got this little piece of shit defending you, huh Norman? Isn't that cute…" He slammed the door shut. "Let's just go."

"Blake, you shut your fuckin' mouth." Norman spat out. "What's more important to you? Saving these kids, or accusing everybody you see of being a killer? Seems like you get a pretty good kick from beating an imaginary confession out of everyone!"

"Fuckin' asshole!" Blake raised his fist once again, threatening to create a second cut on his opponent's lips, but Norman didn't flinch. The two stared at each other for a brief moment, before Blake dropped his arm.

"Fine." He stated nonchalantly. "You bring her in then. I'll meet you two inside." He treaded towards the police station, making sure to trample in every puddle he could see, as if trying to symbolize his anger.

Norman sighed, once again helping the girl step out of the car. She leaned in close as they walked, hoping his body would keep her warm. Nicole noticed a musky fragrance surrounding Agent Norman. It wasn't the oh-god-I-can't-breathe type of smell, but rather the kind of scent that warmed up her whole body with each inhale.

"You two don't seem to get along." Her words were the only other sound besides the splashing of puddles as the bustling cars drove by.

"Not exactly." He replied blankly. "Blake's got his own methods, and I've got mine." His voice was barely loud enough to hear through the tirade of rain.

"_Achoo" _Nicole sneezed again.

"…You cold?" He asked,

"A little."

"That makes the two of us then. Let's get inside. Rain's beginning to come down pretty hard."

* * *

Upon entering, the warmth of the police station allowed Nicole to drop her shivering shoulders and slowly regain feeling back in her face and cheeks. Though, the handcuffs had pretty much cut off any circulation from her wrist down, and her jeans were soaked to the point where she had lost the sensation in her legs.

A couple feet from the door, she spotted Blake standing with a balding man whose hair color closely resembled salt and pepper. His black suit and red tie suggested that he was someone important in the agency.

"Ahh, about time you two arrived. I was just about to send the cops in after you." Blake sneered. "Bring 'er in there." He pointed towards a large metal door near the back of the station.

Ignoring his bland joke, Norman gently lay his hand on her back, urging her to go forward.

As the pair navigated through the police station, she noticed busy cops sitting at their desks, typing monotonously away at their keyboards. There were rows of file cabinets behind each desk, separating the two sides of the large office. Across the way, she noticed a small area of scattered chairs and tables along with a soda machine and coffee maker.

_I guess cops gotta have a nice cup of java now and then too. _

They walked by a room where she assumed from the rows of chairs that a press conference was taking place. The important looking man she'd just seen with Blake was stepping up to the podium and began introducing himself. The only words she managed to make out were "_Officer Perry,"_and "_The case of the Origami Killer."_

She took time to observe her surroundings, as Norman lead her through the headquarters. The walls of the station were painted an unwelcoming grey color, which in a way, reflected the attitudes of most the cops working there. She spotted a man with a clean shaven head and multiple tattoos down his arms, being dragged into one of the holding rooms on the side of the station.

"I didn't do it man! It wasn't me!" He yelled, violently struggling to get out of the two policemens' grasp.

"Shut up and get in there," One of them said, as the other unlocked the door. It was hard for Nicole to imagine that she was being held in the same place as all these other criminals were. They originally only came to ask her a few questions, how did things end up like this?

* * *

The couple soon reached a large door that read "INTERROGATION ROOM". Norman pushed down the knob and nudged her to step in. Inside, there was a simple set up; One table in the center of the room, and two chairs across from one another. One for her, and one for Blake, she assumed.

"Alright, just take a seat here 'til Blake comes." He pulled the metal chair out for her as she sat down; hands still wrapped behind her back.

"Gary,." He called to a man standing outside the door

"Yes, sir?" He came rushing in. His tall figure and toned arms made Nicole assume he was the type of man who spent his days off lifting weights or watching football.

"Bring me the keys."

"Of course, sir." The man shoved his masculine hand into his pocket and dug around for a moment before pulling out a small silver key.

Norman unlocked one of the handcuffs and reattached it to the bar on the table.

"Sorry," he muttered , clicking together the cuffs. "It's to make sure you don't go anywhere."

"Right." She spat out sarcastically. She sat slightly slumped over in her chair and stared at the one way glass window in front of her. _There's probably a camera behind there_, she thought. _Good. In case Blake goes ape shit on me, they'll have it on video_.

Her eyes remained fixed on the mirror-like glass as she began scrutinizing the appearance of the girl staring back at her. Long damp hair fell all over her eyes and face, and her pale ivory skin practically blended in with her white shirt. Her grotesque appearance didn't seem to contrast much with Norman's permanently upset expression and his sad eyes. Their negativity practically bounced off of one another in the small, compressed room. She averted her attention away from the reflection and instead began focusing on the small crack that had begun forming on the left side wall. A familiar but awkward silence was brought over the two once again.

"You … cold?" Norman asked, the answer obviously yes.

"I'm always cold." She replied bluntly.

Norman bit his lip and began tapping his expensive leather shoes against the floor.

_God, let's just get this over with… _

Just then, the metal door swung open and in walked Blake with a grim smile plastered on his face.

"Well well well. If it ain't Ms. Jamison. How are you feeling?"

Nicole sat up straight, and her mouth formed a straight line.

"You look distressed. Don't be. We just came to ask a few questions that's all." _That's not what it seems like, _She thought silently to herself.

"So tell me," Blake started, pacing around the room. "What exactly made you drive by the wasteland that evening?" As he spoke, she noticed he used a lot of hand motions to exaggerate. "Was it the magnificent view? Huh? Did you feel the urge to stop by?"

She stared at the floor and focused on her muddy shoelaces. Pity. She'd just recently purchased these too, and had been making an effort to keep them clean.

_Oh god what is she doing… _Norman thought to himself.

"Hmm? What was it exactly that caught your eye? You couldn't have possibly just spotted the body in plain view, could you? Unless you were the one who dumped it there."

Nicole averted her attention from her shoes and was now focusing on the crack again.

"Speak to me, damn it!" Blake slammed his fists onto the table, causing it to rattle.

She swallowed, trying her best to keep a straight face. It was hard to maintain composure around a man like Blake.

_Just don't say a thing,_ she thought to herself.

"Do you know how many lives are at stake here? Do you realize what you've done!" His putrid breath made Nicole cringe in her seat.

"I didn't do anything." She stated stubbornly. "All I did was report the body. I had nothing to do with the crime whatsoever."

"Oh yeah? Cause we interviewed Mrs. Bowles about it, and she said you two had a quite a history back in college. So tell me about that."

Nicole's eyes widened; Mrs Bowles? Did he meanSusan Bowles?

"We were friends in college." She began, "We got into this little fight."

"Oh really? Cause I heard it was more like an ongoing grudge. Something about her stealing your boyfriend?" He sat down in the chair and leaned in close to her face. Nicole remained silent. Her eyes dropped back down to her feet.

"Blake,"

"You stay out of this Norman!" Blake snapped. "Just admit it Nicole! You drowned Jeremy as a sick way of getting back at her, didn't you!" He stood up over her, andthe impact of his coarse hand slapping against her cheek made tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. The stinging sensation ran from her temples all the way down to her jaw bone. She clamped her eyes tight, trying to edure the pain.

Norman's expression became panic-stricken. He rushed over to Blake and within an impulse, punched him square in the jaw.

Blake's face became awestruck. Norman held his ground.

"Come on asshole! I've been waiting for this for a long time!" He threw his hands up in the air and his nostrils flared with anger.

Norman socked him again, this time hard in the center of his stomach. He let out a small _oomf._

"Men. that's enough!" A sudden voice rang in the small room. She looked around , trying to identify where the sound was coming from.

"Both of you, out of the confession room immediately!" She soon realized it was coming from one of the speakers, someone had been watching the fight unravel from the other side of the window.

Blake narrowed his eyes at Norman.

"You got lucky this time, asshole. Next time, I'll kick the living shit out of you. 'Can count on it." He huffed, and stormed out of the room.

"God…" Norman sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Listen, I'll get you out of here." He whispered. "Hang tight." and stepped outside the door. Nicole, still cringing from the impact of Blake's slap, sat still in her chair.

_He's not that bad I guess…_ She thought, rubbing the side of her face. Jeez that man hit hard. Hadn't he ever heard of "Never hit a girl?"

* * *

**I'm really sorry for this sucky chapter**

**It took me three days to complete **

**I had a terrible case of writers block, and I'm honestly not very satisfied with it.**

**But if you stick around till the next chapter, it's where the real secrets pour out :'D **

**Oh I'm so excited to write it . Norman's such a sweetheart isn't he? 3  
**

**Reviews are appreciated ~  
**


	4. Chapter 4

"Just what exactly were you thinking?" Officer Perry yelled. He had tried his best to keep his composure till they got to his office. "Jayden, you wanna get kicked off this case?"

Norman's jaw dropped, how was this his fault?

"He was beating her up. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing." He argued calmly.

"I was trying to get a confession outta her!" Blake volleyed back

"Blake, you carry on with whatever it is that you're doing. That girl could spare a couple cuts and bruises as long as our first priority is to catch the killer. As for you Jayden, stay out of it unless you want to be dismissed from the case!"

"But sir, I-"

"Jayden." Norman immediately closed his lips. Officer Perry raised his eyebrow at him, and got up from his chair. "Now if you'll excuse me gentleman, I have another press conference to attend. Drop in if you feel the need." He strode over to the door and left. Blake followed after him, making sure to slip a small, evil, smirk at Norman as he passed by.

God. _What the hell did I do? It's all fuckin' Blake. I swear , Perry's just playin' favorites. I gotta find a way to get Nicole out before Blake ends up breakin' her arms. _He took a deep breath and slipped his hand into his pocket. He wrapped his fingers around the cold cylinder vial and squeezed it. _Not now…_ _Don't over –do it, Norman. _He let go of the tripto and slowly slid down against the door and sat, his arms wrapped around his legs and he shut his eyes.

* * *

After he had a chance to catch his breath, Norman checked his watch and saw that, in what felt like only a few seconds, 10 minutes had already passed. He quickly stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of his suit. He opened the door and headed towards Charlene's desk. Neatly stacked papers were organized into little piles, and several different phone lines were blinking at once.

"Sorry, Please hold." _Click._ "Sorry, Pease hold."_ Click._ He wondered how long she'd been doing this job. Now it just seemed so natural for her to click and say the same thing over and over.  
"Charlene, when does everyone get off the next shift?" He asked her, leaning on the edge of the counter.

"Sorry, please hold. Uhhh, about 5 minutes actually. Why? What do you need?"

"Nah, nothing. Just wondering. Thanks,"

"No problem." She smiled, and went back to answering the calls. _Alright, So I got five minutes to get her outta here. How am I gonna do this?_ He calmly walked to the entrance of the interrogation room to avoid any unwanted suspicion. "Hey Gary, you can take a break. I'll watch her." He said as he entered the room. The security guard turned around.

"You sure? Aight, great. I was bustin' for a piss." The man patted Norman's back on his way out. _That was easier than I thought._

As he walked closer, he saw that Nicole was sprawled across the floor, with one arm still attached to the table. He could see a large bruise forming on her upper cheek, and a tiny cut on her lip.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" He crouched down and lay his hand on her cheek.

'' Don't!" She cried. Norman jerked back his hand.  
"Oh I'm sorry. Let me help you up…" He supported her back and arms as he pulled up from the ground and seated her on the chair. She groaned, and let out a long sigh.

"I didn't do it, Norman." She said. Norman watched as she lay her head on the table, facing the other direction.

_What am I doing? Helping her out of jail? What if she's lying? Ahh shit… Then again though, her psychological profile doesn't fit the killer at all… _Norman bit his lip and put one hand in his pocket.

"I'll get you out, Nicole." He finally decided. She turned her head to look at him.

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow at the surprising offer. "Why?"

"Because… I don't think you're the killer."

"I'm not."

Norman began staring at his feet.

"Look, you don't deserve to be in here. I'll get you out , alright? Everyone should be switching shifts in about five minutes, that's when we make a run for it."

Nicole sat up straight and stared at Norman for a second. She could usually tell when someone was lying to her, but he looked pretty serious.

"…Thankyou." She finally replied. Norman nodded and left the room.

"I'll be back soon." He said, and closed the door. As he was striding through the hallway, Gary was heading towards his direction. "Oh, Gary. Just the man I was lookin' for. Hey, could you get me the keys for her cuffs? They're getting' a little loose. She's been struggling'." He let out a nervous chuckle.

"Sure thing. They're on my desk. I'll go grab 'em for you." Gary trotted to his desk which was a few feet from Blake's, and galloped back to the hallway, handing them to Norman.  
"Thanks, Gary." He replied. "Oh, and since you're switching shifts soon, couldja tell the other guy to gimme a few minutes before coming in? I think I might finally be getting a confession out of her."

The cop nodded. "Sure. He wont be here for another five minutes anyway."

"Sounds good." Norman watched to make sure Gary had left the hallway before going back into the room. "Here, here." He said, as he unlocked Nicole's wrist.  
"Better," She let out a sigh of relief as she shook out her arms.

"We have to move quickly," Norman flustered, "We've got ten minutes. I'll meet you out at the car. Make sure no one suspects anything, okay? Then I can take you to the hotel where you can stake out for the night. Sound good?"

"Okay." She answered quietly. "But how do I get out without them noticing? There's still people everywhere."

"Right…Uhh…" Norman suddenly remembered the clusters of cops in raincoats when he first came to investigate the crime scene of Jeremy Bowles. "I'll get you a rain coat." He replied. "If you don't panic, you'll just look like any other cop leaving shifts." Nicole stood up and crossed her arms; staring at the floor.

_Why is he being so nice? Should I trust him? What if this is all just a trick and once I get outside they'll just tackle me and take me in again._

"Okay," She decided it was better to take a risk to get out than to sit here and be beat to death for another hour. "Hurry."

"I will. Stay here." Norman left the room once again, and this time headed towards one of the empty cop desks. he grabbed a raincoat from the back of the chair and calmly walked back towards the interrogation room, trying his best to avoid eye contact with Blake. He seemed far too occupied in whatever was on his computer screen to be taking notice to Norman anyway. He quietly slipped into the room and threw the plastic poncho at Nicole. "Put it on!" He urged

"I am, I am." She struggled to find the bottom opening, and slipped the coat over her head. "Alright I'm good." She said, pulling up the hood.

"Okay, now trail along behind me, but make sure to keep some distance so it doesn't look suspicious. And don't walk too fast, but don't walk slow enough for someone to be able to stop and ask you a question. Don't talk. Don't even think until you get outside."

"God I feel like we're fbi agents." She stopped and realized the little unintended pun she had just made and covered her mouth to hide a small smile. A smile was also tugging at the corners of Norman's mouth, but he managed to keep a straight face.

"Alright, follow me." He cleared his throat and strode out to the main office. "Charlene, I'm leavin' for the day, I give up on that chick. She won't spill a thing. Let Blake and Perry know for me?"

"Of course Mr. Jayden." She smiled again. It was a smile that seemed to be plastered on her face twentyfour-seven.

"Thanks," And with that he continued his way out the door. Blake was gone from his desk, thank god for that.

_What am I doing? What am I doing! If someone finds out, I'm screwed! Who knows what'll happen to me… God , what have I gotten myself into?_

He turned his head around to catch a quick glance to see if Nicole was behind him. Surely enough, she was a little more than 20 feet away. Her head was ducked down low and she was keeping a steady pace. He let out a sigh of relief, and kept walking.

* * *

After what seemed like forever, he finally reached the doors and looked out to see that the never-ending rain was still coming down hard. The sky was pitch black, and gloomier than ever. He pushed open the exit and stepped outside into the downpour. Norman looked around to see if anyone was watching, and sprinted toward his black car. He fumbled around in his pockets for a moment, trying to find his keys. As he unlocked the door, he heard the sound of feet splashing rainwater behind him, and he turned around.

"It's me. Let's get in, quick." Nicole pulled down her hood and ran around the front of the car. She hastily pulled open the door and slid into the passenger seat. Norman did the same. "It's freezing." She said, taking off the raincoat and tossing it into the back seat.

"Just hang on tight till we get to the hotel." He replied, and backed out of the parking space.


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright. We're here." As he pulled the keys out of the engine, he noticed that the young journalist beside him had fallen asleep. Her head lay limp, hanging off her left shoulder, and her eyes were shut tightly. She must've been out for a while. He didn't blame her, though. She'd had a pretty rough day with the kidnapping with Blake and all. Not to mention the brutal beating in the confession room. He still could not seem to brush the image of her sprawled across the floor out of his mind. Even now her lip still looked a bit swollen and her cheek as well. Blake really knew how to pack 'em.

A dim light was cast over the car, allowing just enough brightness for Norman to examine her face . She closely resembled a porcelain doll. Prominent cheek bones and a sharp jaw line but yet delicately soft pale skin. In all his years of being an FBI agent Norman had never come across a suspect that he was so intrigued with. He quickly shook the admiration out of his mind and got out of the car.

_I guess I'm gonna have to carry her._ He thought to himself. He unbuckled her seat belt and gently wrapped one arm under her legs and caressed the other around her back. Using his hip to shut the door, he realized she wasn't as heavy as he'd expected. His opinion soon changed once he found himself practically having to haul her up the hotel stairs. Taking the elevator wasn't an option, seeing as he'd have to cross the lobby carrying a sleeping girl. He decided his best bet to get up there without being seen was to dash for the stairs and get up through there. Once past the first floor he could take the elevator.

* * *

Upon reaching the first floor , he was already panting. He dashed over to the opening elevator doors only to see that there was already another man in there, dressed in a baggy jacket and some navy blue sweat pants. _Too late._ Norman stepped inside the elevator and let out a nervous cough. "Floor 3 please." The man gave Norman and little smirk and pressed the button.

"Yeah. Definitely looks like your hands are full." He chuckled. Norman's face blushed a bright pink.  
"O-oh. No you see... she fell asleep in the car.. and I.."

"No need to worry man, I got you." He replied slyly, and gave Norman a little wink. A shiver went up his spine. He sighed and turned away to face the wall, what would his opinion matter anyway? He looked like the slump type to do that kind of stuff on a daily basis anywho.

After what seemed like much too long, the man got off on the third floor. "You have fun, Y'hear?" He cackled as the elevator doors shut. Norman shook his head.

* * *

As he approached room 245, he realized he was faced with another dilemma. How was he going to get inside? Gently laying Nicole down, he grabbed his pass from his pocket and slid it through the lock on the door. It blinked green with joy and the lock was released. He then picked her up once again and carried her to the bed of the hotel room. "There you go… nice and cozy." He said, gently laying her down.

Norman let out a sigh of relief and looked around the room. It looked like it'd been cleaned while he was away. The towels he'd left on the floor were taken away and replaced with new ones hanging on the bathroom hooks, and the messy bed sheets had been neatly remade. But something was missing. Was it still under the head stand? His heart began to beat heavily. Norman dashed over and frantically stuck his hand under the desk, grabbing for a familiar vial. At last he pulled it out and his heart rate began to calm down. Probably not the best place to stash his last vial of tripto. His life practically depended on it. He decided to hide it in his coat pocket in case the other one ran out. He headed for the shower. Who knew how much stress it was to help a suspect escape a police station?

* * *

A few minutes after Norman had stepped into the shower, Nicole was beginning to wake up from her slumber. She turned over on her side and began to murmur something about it being cold. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself in unfamiliar surroundings. She slowly sat herself up straight and stretched her long arms, yawning. "Where the hell am I?" She wondered. Just then, flashbacks of the escape and Norman's face began to flood into her mind, and she realized he must've taken her to the hotel. How did he manage to get her up here? She stood up and clumsily knocked over Norman's trench coat that was lying on the bed. Out of one of its pockets rolled a little vial filled with a strange glowing blue substance. "Oh. What's that?" She leaned over and picked it up. What an odd thing to keep in his pocket. Was it some sort of chemical? Candy maybe? She flipped the vial around, closely examining it. The bathroom door unlocked, and out stepped a shirtless Norman, with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

"O-oh." The two stared at each other for a moment before both quickly looking away. "I didn't know you were awake… I would've put on a shirt. I-I mean I would have even if you weren't here but I… I didn't realize that you… I'll go now." He grabbed a tshirt and some boxers from his luggage and ran back into the bathroom. He could feel his cheeks burning up. Nicole sat still on the bed, aghast that she'd just seen a half naked FBI agent. It wasn't a bad thing though. No. Not at all.

A few moments passed before Norman stepped out of the bathroom, finally clothed.

"…Sorry about that." He mumbled, still very much embarrassed.  
"Okay." She replied, and turned away to avoid further eye contact. Both of them could feel the awkward in the air. "Mr. Jayden." She finally started, "What's this?" She held up the vial of mysterious substance. Norman's heart practically stopped. He snatched it from her hand and shoved it into his pocket.

"W-where did you find this? It's mine. Don't go through my things!' He yelled. Nicole looked up in curiosity.

"Oh I'm sorry. It fell out of your pocket and I picked it up. Didn't mean to upset you or anything." Norman let out a long sigh and waved his hand.

"No , no , I'm sorry. It's just… I need this stuff. To live. And it'd be a horrible thing if anything had happened to it…"

"To live? Is it that important?" She asked

"Er.. Well you see…" Should I tell her? It can't hurt… It's better for her to know anyway, in case of emergency. He wrung his hands together. "It's a drug. But I only use it because of these ," He pulled out his ARI glasses from his pockets. "They cause headaches and other symptoms if I use 'em for too long. So this helps ease the pain."

Nicole nodded . "But isn't it dangerous?" Norman slipped the vial back into his coat pocket and headed towards his luggage.

"Yes… I suppose…Very dangerous."

"Then why do you use it?"

"I… I can't stop." There was another silence. There was a hint of regret in his voice. Nicole did not reply. "Listen, Nicole, you should wash up. You'll get sick if you stay like this. You can borrow my clothes if you'd like, there are clean towels over there." He pointed to the rack of white towels, freshly replaced.

"No , it's alright. I'll just use the blow dryer for my clothes." She said. "Hey," She turned to face him. "How did you get me up here anyway?"

"Oh…" He chuckled nervously. " I carried you of course." Her face flushed a light red.

"Oh. Well. Thanks for going through the trouble." She grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom. "Oh, and Norman," She stated. He looked up.

"Hm?"

"Be careful okay? Don't… get carried away with that… stuff." She stopped for a moment, then stepped into the bathroom and locked the door.

"Right… Be careful..." He repeated to himself, and zipped up the luggage.

* * *

**FINALLY! AN UPDATE! **

**I'm sosososososo sorry for not updating sooner. I admit, this is way past due.**

**But I was so caught up with school and summer and I abused Norman's story ):**

**I promise I'll be more persistent with updating.**

**Enjoy! ~**


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